Frostbitten, Twice Shy
by icemanbobby
Summary: ((What, the punny title alone isn't enough to convince you to read this story? For Phoenix sake…)) Bobby and Jubes tried to do this whole 'relationship' thing in the past — and it kinda failed spectacularly… Several times. But despite the hiccups, they decide to give it one more try — just in time for Valentine's Day — and see if the sparks still fly. ((Spoiler alert: They do!))
1. Chapter 1

❄ **˹ V-Day plans…? ˼**

* * *

˹ In all the years that you've known me, when have I EVER had V-Day plans? lol ˼

˹ What about you? ˼

* * *

❄ **˹ Wish everyone I knew was as** **consistent and reliable as you… ˼**

❄ **˹ Nah, no plans. ˼**

❄ **˹ …What kind of chocolates do** **you (and Shogo) want? ˼**

* * *

⌦ ˹ _Consistent and reliable? More like a total_ _romantic failure, as you already know… ˼_ (⇧ Send? )

* * *

That's what Jubilee's text _would have_ read, had she not frantically deleted it and opted to simply call Bobby instead.

 _Ring, ring…_

"Hey." Bobby answered, smiling. "You know they have a whole aisle of chocolate here? _#FirstWorldProblems_ , I know - but I can't decide."

Sporting a big smile herself, Jubilee lit up the instant she heard Bobby's voice.

"Make it easy on yourself and just grab whatever looks like it has the most sugar in it." She giggled. "Oh, and hi, by the way. I missed you _…_ "

Bobby rubbed the back of his neck. "I missed you, too." Which he said overly loud, judging by the stares he was getting.

Jubilee herself may or may not have been on the receiving end of some seriously weirded out looks from Shogo, as Bobby's words had her beaming and rolling around on her bed like a total nut.

Bobby grabbed like one of everything and escaped to the checkout. "Unless you trust me with this much chocolate for a week… I could bring it over now."

"Since I don't wanna be responsible for your potential, chocolate-induced coma; yeah, you should definitely get over here."

"Sweet; chocolate coma at your place! Sounds like a plan." He grabbed a yellow rose from a florist display on a whim. "See you soon."

"Alrighty! I'll be waitin'!" With that, Jubilee hung up and zipped around the house; tidying up before stopping to pretty herself.

* * *

Outside Jubilee's door, Bobby cleared his throat, to do his best 'cop voice'.

 _"Miss Lee, we know you're in there. We've got you surrounded."_

Giggling, Jubilee made her way over and called out, "If you're not wearing a sexy cop outfit, I'm gonna be SO disappointed."

She swung the door open. "Darn." She greeted him with a 'disappointed' frown.

"Hey, I could be wearing anything underneath all this!" Bobby gestured at his boring old regular clothes.

"Anything? I'd prefer _nothing_ , but…~" She teased him through a fangy grin.

"Maybe I'm just waiting to get inside to, uh… do a magical quick-change striptease act!"

As Bobby produced the yellow rose out of his coat with a sudden flourish, Jubes' playful expression was quickly replaced with a bashful smile. She hesitated to accept it.

"…Thanks, Bobby."

He shrugged off her thanks. "I just thought… Well, yellow's your color, right?"

"You know me best…" Jubilee moved aside to welcome him in, while trying to hide that fact that she was totally blushing. "S-So! A striptease, huh?" Cue a pervy waggle of her brows. "Guess it's a good thing Shogo's already in bed…~"

As Jubilee shut the door behind him, she gave the rose a pleasant sniff. Bobby set the chocolates down, then grinned and 'suggestively' took off his coat. "Considering I spend my life fighting crime in my Underoos, you'd think I'd be better at this…"

Watching his 'sensual' moves with an amused smile, Jubilee couldn't help but chuckle. "Practice makes perfect, right? As the kindhearted do-gooder that I am, I volunteer to help you hone your stripping skills. Solely for your benefit, of course."

"My hero~!" Bobby grinned, gladly tossing his coat over a chair, since it was just for pretense. (The cold never bothered him… Anyway.)

"So…" He glanced down himself, then to Jubes. "What next, my 'kindhearted do-gooder'?" He coughed. "Hm. That's kind of a mouthful…"

Eying him with a kittenish smile, Jubilee set the rose down next to the chocolates and reached out to pull Bobby closer.

"Well, you could always think of something else to call me…" Her lips came dangerously close to meeting with his. Instead, they trailed along his cheek. "As for what's next…" Jubilee's fingers slowly begin to unbutton his shirt as she whispered into his ear, _"…I want you to take your boots off."_

Pulling away from his cheek to look up at him, Jubes had the goofiest of grins plastered on her face. "Like, seriously. You're messin' up my floors."

Bobby blinked slowly; his brain begrudgingly switching focus from her fingers at his chest, to look down at his boots.

"…My bad." He lifted Jubes up, guiding her legs to wrap around his waist, so he could sit and unlace his boots with her on his lap. "Better…?"

Jubilee felt herself getting a little nervous. Though, once the pair were seated, she continued to unbutton his shirt. "…Yeah, much better."

Plucking at the last of his buttons, the youthful vampire pulled his shirt open and slid it off of his shoulders.

Bobby swallowed thickly, and an involuntary shiver ran through him. "You know - even in my dreams this has never gone so well before…"

Shyly, Jubilee smiled at him. "…You've dreamt about me takin' your clothes off?" Her hands glided up from his chest to cup the sides of his face.

"I didn't come over intending to, uh-" Bobby glanced down then back up to meet her eyes, "-end up like this, but… if it makes us both happy…"

"…Listen, Bobby…" Jubes couldn't help but avert her gaze from him as she spoke, "Before we do…well, _'it'_ …are we, like, back together? Or is this just…a thing?"

Eventually, her eyes wandered back to meet with his, while she continued, "I messed things up last time, so… I'm gonna leave the choice up to you. I owe you that much…"

"Hey, c'mon…" Bobby wrapped his arms low around Jubilee. "I'm just as bad - for disappearing every time things get too serious, so…" He shrugged, "I don't know what to say… This is usually the point in the dream where Shogo wakes up in the next room, shouting Hank McCoy science babble, or else reminding me how many hours 'til Tax Day." Bobby smirked halfheartedly, then rested his forehead against Jubes'.

"Well, it's a good thing this isn't a dream…" Jubilee nuzzled her nose with his. "And I didn't mean to put pressure on you, so if askin' you about "us" counts as 'too serious', then forget I ever said anything. I don't want you to disappear on me…"

"I'm not going anywhere-" Bobby stood slowly, lifting her. "-unless it's with you…"

Giving those icy-blue eyes of his a final, longing gaze; Jubilee moved in to kiss him.

"…Take me to my room." She murmured against Bobby's lips, which locked with hers as he dutifully carried her away.

* * *

This was about as far as the two had gotten the last time they gave romance a shot, and this time, Jubilee was determined to make sure that Bobby knew just how much she cared for him.

"…Guess it's my turn to lose a shirt…" She parted lips with Bobby in order to slowly lift her top, and pull it up and over her head; leaving only a simple, pink bra that obscured what remained of her milky white flesh.

Bobby grinned, momentarily speechless while he watched. He reflexively held Jubes tighter against him for a moment so she could feel his excitement.

Seeing the look on Bobby's face sent a heated flush to Jubilee's cheeks; which became a furious blush once he tightened his hold on her. She almost couldn't believe that this was actually happening.

"Told you - _I've got you surrounded, Miss Lee_ …" Bobby laid her on the bed, holding himself up over her.

" _Anything you say or do…_ " He continued, leaning down to kiss along the edges of her bra. " _…may be used against me, as much and as often as you like…_ "

With every kiss, goosebumps spilled out over her body; leaving her shivering in delight as she lay beneath him.

"…Sounds like you might be in for some trouble, 'Officer'~" Trailing her index finger down Bobby's arm, Jubilee took his hand. "'Cause I've got a few things that I'd really like to _'use against you'_ …" She guided Bobby's hand along the silky skin of her tummy and up past her navel, where she cupped it around one of her supple breasts.

"Wish I could say _'Trouble's my middle name'_ …" Bobby's thumb brushed over the skin there, just skirting the edge of her areola. "…But I… I never finished filling out the paperwork…" Not one of his best lines - but a lot of the blood-flow to his brain seemed to be re-routed elsewhere.

"You're already a stripteasing cop. 'Officer Bobby _'Trouble'_ Drake' is just what this roleplay needs to _really_ push it over the edge…" She nearly laughed, but the feel of Bobby's thumb had her biting her lower lip instead. Honestly, if they were with anyone but each other, their terrible lines would've killed the mood by now.

Bobby slipped his free hand gently under her back, hesitating when his fingers found the clasp for her bra.

He met Jubilee's eyes with quite a serious look. "If we need to stop - at any time - for any reason - just say."

"Bobby…" Looking back at him just as seriously, Jubilee's hand wandered down past his chest and abdomen, to gently rub where he was steadily growing. "We're not stopping — not this time…"


	2. Chapter 2

Jubilation Lee was on track to become the new world record holder for keeping Bobby Drake from speaking for the greatest number of consecutive minutes of his life. And it wasn't just the incredible work of Jubes' tongue, and her lips, her hands, and fingers — although it _was_ all of that, but it was also the idea that — Phoenix' sake — she _wanted_ him… She wanted _him._

And after wanting him for so long, after making so many mistakes, Jubilee felt that this moment was long overdue; Bobby needed to know — _to feel_ — just how madly the former firecracker felt about him.

* * *

"What did I do to deserve this…" Bobby only meant it as a rhetorical question, as he struggled against the first signs of post-climax stupor, but continued with a murmur, "…to deserve _you_ …"

Laying back, Jubilee pulled him down onto the bed with her; holding him tight against her petite frame as her fingertips gently danced through his hair. "Heh, if you only knew just how long I've had the warm-n-fuzzies for you…" Rhetorical or not, the adorably foggy-eyed Bobby got an answer. "You never had to do a single thing, other than just be yourself."

A lazy, comfortable, genuine smile of complete satisfaction spread over Bobby's face as he tumbled down with Jubes. He felt warm, sluggish, heavy, and like he was melting all over — but in a good way; like a dismal grey winter finally dissolving into the promise of spring.

"Mmn… Think your 'warm-n-fuzzies' are contagious…" He murmured, nuzzling his face into the crook of Jubilee's neck.

"Pfft, they'd better be." Replying through a quiet giggle, Jubilee kissed his forehead. Jeez, was he _always_ this freakin' cute? I mean, look at him; those droopy eyes, that sleepy voice, and just the weight of him draped over her. Never in her life had Jubilee ever felt as content as she did here now with him in her arms.

"What can we do for you, babe…?" Bobby willed himself not to fall asleep on her (yet); since he'd actually (sort of) had training for this. — ' _This_ ' meaning _'not immediately falling uselessly asleep when there's important stuff going on'_. (Bobby would never admittedly thank Scott Summers for the number of Danger Room sessions that involved getting shot with tranquilizers while still being expected to save the world, but okay maybe it might have finally paid off.)

Bobby shifted his weight slightly, giving himself room to trail his fingers down along her torso.

* * *

He stopped as soon as he felt Jubes freeze up. Despite her being a girl who didn't really need to do much when it came to matters of respiration — he was pretty sure Jubilee was actually holding her breath. Was he doing something wrong? With his brows knitted in concern, Bobby's icy-blues drifted away from their southward bearing and up to meet Jubes' crimson pools.

"Is this okay…?" He nudged her chin gently with his nose. "I can stop, or… Anything you want, babe…"

"N-No, no… this is fine.." Jubilee managed to stutter out. " _You're_ fine… I, on the other hand, am just… nervous…" God, she felt like a total dweeb right now, since she had only wanted this with Bobby for _years_ now. "…Julian and I never really got past kissin', so… yeah…"

An embarrassing admission, for sure. Though in hindsight, she was glad for the fact. "But, please, continue…" With a helpless smile, Jubilee tilted her head to kiss the tip of Bobby's nose; her hand moving to gently stroke his scruffy cheek.

"Well, don't be nervous," Bobby turned his head slightly to plant a reassuring kiss on the palm of her hand, before adding with a self-deprecating sigh, "—'Cause it probably won't be _that_ good…" Bobby had had enough exes of his own to know that he wasn't exactly born a Casanova; but that wouldn't stop him from trying. He wanted Jubes to feel as good as she had made him feel.

"Hey," Jubilee frowned as she heard him sigh, knowing what was probably going through his mind. "Don't do that to yourself. I don't know how things worked in any of your past relationships, but for me, anything you do — even just the things you say, or the way you look at me — make me feel like my heart is racing… and the thing doesn't even beat."

"Well, if anything doesn't work for you, feel free to jump in; help a guy out, okay?"

Smiling again, Jubilee leaned in to plant an ardent kiss on Bobby's lips; hoping to inspire some confidence in him. "I really don't think you're gonna need my help, but sure…"

Jubilee's patience and encouragement — everything about her, actually — seemed to be exactly what Bobby needed; all the icy fortifications he had put up over the years — that he thought were protecting him from one doomed relationship to the next — were beginning to thaw under Jubes' magic touch…

* * *

Throughout this entire night, Jubilee had been treading a very dangerous line. Pleasure and desire overlapped with her vampiric need to feed — that ever-present lust for blood. Everything about Bobby provoked this instinct, and not just because of their heated circumstances. Anytime they got together, Jubilee had to sate her cravings beforehand. Yes, she did have her bloodlust under control, but because of her long-standing feelings for this blue-eyed goofball; he'd always managed to excite it — to tempt her.

Then, all at once, the pleasure that had been driving Jubilee wild came to an abrupt halt. While the lustful bloodsucker in her yearned for more, the part of her that was still inexperienced was thankful for the opportunity to compose herself. Her mind began to regain its senses and her vision started to refocus; what was Bobby doing now?

In this moment, with his kisses peppering her perspiring flesh, Bobby made her question what it was she wanted: _To feed, or to c_ —

* * *

 _Um, damn._ It should be a crime to make a girl feel like this. Was Bobby even aware of how good he was? If this is what third base was like, then hitting a home run with this guy was going to be _heaven_. Though Jubes would keep these thoughts to herself, knowing her favourite popsicle would crumble under the non-existent pressure.

"…Y-You really undersold yourself with the whole 'it probably won't be that great' thing…" She tried to smirk, but kept her bottom lip firmly clenched between her teeth. Instead, she'd just watch him with a lopsided smile, thinking that if yellow is her color, then _wet_ was definitely his.

* * *

Despite how romantic and emotionally intimate the night had been, for all Jubilee knew, this could just be a good time for Bobby. Which would suck, considering this experience made her feelings for him blossom like a rose cracked out on Miracle-Gro.

Maybe her insecurities were just getting the better of her; she wasn't exactly used to having things go her way. But instead of voicing her concerns, she just kept smiling. Chiming with a breathless; "Shower…?"

"Shower," Bobby agreed with a slight smile, nodding. "And after that — I'm gonna give Shogo a run for his money as far as 'sleeping like a baby' goes."

"…I just hope you don't snore like one, 'cause some nights, the little guy can sure saw a log!" The thought of having Bobby sleep next to her for the night triggered a bashful flutter to rise in Jubilee's gut. She let out a soft groan as Bobby slid one arm beneath her legs, and the other behind her back, to lift and carry her over-the-threshold-style toward the bathroom.

"Let's get cleaned up."


	3. Chapter 3

Bobby smirked, "C'mon, I'm not a _total_ pervsicle… Or, well, if I am — it's only for you, my little Squirtle-dove." He gave Jubes a loving smooch on the cheek.

"Only for me, huh?" Immediately, Jubilee marked his cheek with a peck of her own. "How boyfriendly of you."

"…'Boyfriendly'…?" Bobby was going to tease Jubes about that not being a real word, but instead, the words that came out were a somewhat bashful: "…Yeah… Well… it's, uh, something new I'm trying out."

"…I like it." Her soft-spoken reply was punctuated by an affectionate brush of her fingers through his hair.

"So it's all your fault; you bring out the best in me." He pushed the shower door open with his foot then carried her in.

"Well, 'your best' is comin' dangerously close to gettin' itself into a sticky situation…" She teased him with a slight grin.

He couldn't help but smile 'apologetically' as he finally set her down in front of the controls. "Think you'd better pick the temperature, 'cause I'm just a cold-shower kind of guy by default."

"Yeah? Colour me shocked," She said with a smirk. "As for me, I like it hot, so prepare to melt. Again~" With that, the perky vampire turned the water on and let the shower rain down over their bodies.

Bobby stepped in closer to his petite lover, wrapping his arms around her waist, and just stood, enjoying the feel of the water streaming onto and between them.

It was much nicer than his usual shower routine - which generally involved icing up completely, then sloughing off a slushy layer of all the day's impurities, and reverting back to flesh to watch it go down the drain. It was a 'neat' trick he had quickly learned when he was poisoned one time by Mystique (boy, exes sure were great…) — effective, but not very romantic.

Jubilee had spent her entire teenage existence listening to her friends gush about the things she honestly wasn't sure if she'd ever get to experience. Be it an oh-so-romantic date worthy of being featured in some lame-o romance novel, a night of explicitly kinky sex, or… showering with the one you love after spending an intimate night together. And now, here she was, standing under the falling water with Bobby's arms wrapped snugly around her waist.

He swept Jubilee's wet fringe off of her forehead and then kissed her there, while his hand trickled down her neck and to her chest to start helping rub away the evening's evidence. "I've learned that the great thing about melting, is that when you re-form, you always come back slightly better than the person you were when you melted." Every spot where the shower spray touched him gently hissed out a wisp of sublimated steam.

The ivory-skinned girl hardly cared if he picked up on the way she so dreamily stared at him; Jubilee wanted to etch this moment into her mind. "You're perfect as is, Bobby. I don't think you could re-form yourself to be any better…" She smiled as he kissed her forehead, knowing her words were just as cheesy as they were honest.

"Well, then I guess I've finally melted enough times to stop being such a dope…"

"You just don't give yourself enough credit." Jubilee chuckled at his remark, "…I'm totally glad you came over tonight. I know I already said it, but I really freakin' missed you." Taking the soap in her hands, Jubilee would follow Bobby's lead and begin to lather his steaming chest and down to his abdominals; her gaze following the sudsy trail downward as a means to hide her bashful eyes from him.

Bobby swiped some of the lather from his own chest and began tenderly working it over Jubes' front. "I missed you, too." He suddenly shook his head at himself, admitting, "I've spent the last couple months thinking, 'I wish I could find someone who makes me laugh like Jubilee does…' and someone who knows how to push my buttons, and who can be so cute — and who can turn me on — like you do."

He huffed out an exasperated laugh at his own expense, and then pressed his lips to her neck in apology. "Sorry it took me so long to figure out that I _didn't_ want someone _like_ you…" His soaped-up hands moved to Jubilee's back, kneading gently. "I wanted _you_."

Finally, Jubilee peeked up at him once he began to soap her tiny frame. While she never tired of hearing him say that he missed her, it was those words that followed which captured her full attention. "B-Bobby…" With the soap hitting the shower floor, her foamy hands travelled up his front, her arms hooking around his neck as the young vampire seemed to cling to him.

As much as Jubilee hated to admit it, her elated reaction made her feel like such a kid. But never in her life has she had someone _want_ her in the way that Bobby did; it was such an amazing thing to hear after messing up their relationship the first time around. "I woulda waited forever for you, so don't apologize. I'm just glad — SO glad — that you want me in the same way I want you. 'Cause I'm never lettin' you go, Bobby… You're _mine_."

"Oh babe…" Bobby leaned heavily back against the shower wall as Jubes' arms enveloped him. He held her, just held her, just as tightly as she was wrapped around him… His chest rose and fell, and the hot spray continued to shower over them.

He realized that his heart ached — because he hadn't realized how much it was _this_ — it was _her_ — that was missing from his life. "Forever, huh?" Bobby finally managed to say, pushing the thought out of his mind that his enduring lover _did_ have all the time in the world — whereas he was all too mortal… but that was something they would deal with another day. Not now. 'Cause right now, Bobby Drake just wanted to hold onto this moment. Hold onto her. And never let go. 'Cause he felt whole — finally.

 _Forever…_ Jubilee knew that it was a very skewed concept, and as Bobby echoed the words back to her, she reflexively tightened her hold on him. Logan was already gone. Each passing day that Shogo looked a little bigger or seemed a little bit smarter, she had to face the fear of one day losing him, too. And now, here in her arms, there was someone who held yet another precious — and fragile — piece of her heart; making the lonely girl once again realise that 'forever' just wasn't long enough.

"I'm _yours_ …" Bobby agreed, resting his cheek against the top of Jubilee's head. Suddenly, he felt completely exhausted — maybe his little vampire had succeeded in draining him after all. Of what, Bobby wasn't sure — but he knew he'd just re-form, a better man, from what was melted.


	4. Chapter 4

Forcing herself to smile her worries away, Jubilee lifted her head to beam up at Bobby. "Let's go to bed. Shogo's gonna have us up hella early, so we should catch as many Zs as we can." Jubes was ready to spend the next six hours watching her loveable goofball sleep. "He's totally gonna flip when he sees you here in the morning." She grinned, her arms slipping from around Bobby's neck as she raised herself on her tip-toes to peck his lips.

"Yeah, it's gonna be a pretty exciting day tomorrow…" Bobby returned the grin as Jubilee kissed him, "…what with _all three_ members of the Bobby Drake Fan Club™ together in one place."

"Aww, don't worry, we love you even more than three- _hundred_ members ever could." Jubilee used a teasing pinch to his cheek to add emphasis.

Bobby aimed a few pinches himself at Jubes' towelled posterior to bide the short time while she fixed up their rumpled love nest. She made a mental note to return the favour later…

"Uh, do you want me to…" Bobby suddenly shrugged, "—take the couch?"

Why was he nervous all of a sudden, to just _fall asleep_ with her? Somehow, the idea of being in Jubes' bed now — for its intended purpose — seemed like it would be more an invasion of her personal space than what they had gotten up to earlier.

"What—?" Jubilee turned to look up at him in surprise; how could he possibly think he'd be sleeping anywhere other than right next to her? "As if! I wanna get all obnoxiously cuddly with you…"

She paused, and then turned away from him in order to resume the making of her bed. "…I mean, unless for some reason you don't wanna…" Now, _he_ was making _her_ nervous.

"No — hey — I am _totally_ down for obnoxious cuddles." Bobby rather modestly slipped his boxer briefs back on. He then towel-tousled his hair, and hung the damp terry cloth over the doorknob.

With a relieved sigh, Jubilee turned around with a soft smile. "Good, 'cause I hope to make it a regular thing whenever possible…" With the bedding changed, Jubilee slipped out of her towel and — unlike Bobby — simply tossed it onto the floor; she was totally still a messy kid at heart.

From her dresser she pulled out an oversized Blink-182 T-shirt that she'd swiped from her pal Jonothan Starsmore ages ago, and put it on; but not before her handsy lover managed to get in a final grope at her pillowy backside. "Yep. _Pervsicle_ is definitely sticking," She couldn't help but chuckle.

If Bobby had had more energy, he probably would have then cannoballed onto the now-freshly-made-up sleeping arrangements, just to be a pain, but instead he simply climbed under the covers to wait for Jubilee to join him. Jeez… maybe he was getting old.

"I'll be right back," Jubes promised. "Just gonna make sure I locked the doors…"

"Sure," Bobby smiled at her, "See you soon." Which, he realized, was a bit lame to say. He cleared his throat. "I'll just, uh… be right here, reading _'The Further Sexdventures of Perviscle and Squirtledove'_ …" He mimed flipping through a thoroughly engaging graphic novel and gave Jubes a sleepy wink.

While she _was_ going to question his 'reading material', instead the young vampire slipped out of the room, her silhouette disappearing into the darkened hallway as she headed for the kitchen.

She already knew that her home was locked up tight; her real reason for stepping out was in the refrigerator: She pulled out a packet of blood, sighing as she tore off the straw-like opening and began to suck it dry — which, in mere moments, she did.

With a sharp huff, Jubilee made sure to wipe her lips before tossing the empty packet into the trash. This part of her vampirism she deemed wholly unattractive, and couldn't bear the thought of having Bobby watch her feed. It was pretty gross, after all.

It would be another minute before the ignited glow in her eyes would subside, which is when she finally made her return to her bedroom — and to Bobby. "Okay, bedtime!" Jubilee jumped up and belly-flopped herself into the space next to him with a bed-creaking bounce.

Bobby didn't recall falling asleep, but it was pretty obvious, as Jubilee landed, that his spluttered protests of "— but _Officer_ , she only _looks_ young —" were meant for someone in dreamland.

Bobby's eyes snapped open, quickly focusing. "Hnh? …Oh. S-sorry… Must've…" He rubbed the back of his neck, giving Jubes an apologetic, half-hearted and embarrassed smile.

Jubilee immediately realised that Bobby had dozed off. "Aww, sorry for wakin' you…" The way he smiled at her was oh-so-adorable, prompting her to slide under the covers and make with the obnoxious cuddling she promised. "It sounded like you were havin' such a good dream, too…~" How could she _not_ tease him about that?

Bobby huffed sleepily.

"Go back to sleep," she said, as her lips decorated his collarbone in tender kisses that trailed up along the side of his neck.

"We haven't even been back together for 24 hours and my subconscious is already trying to sabotage my happiness," Bobby mumbled, while his love's kisses quickly pacified him back into slow, steady breaths.

Jubilee softly chuckled through her words, "The best part is that you _know_ that's bound to happen to us at some point." The slender arms that had Bobby wrapped up gave him a gentle squeeze, and Jubilee settled in against the warmth of his body. "I'll see you in the mornin', lover."

"Mmh," he agreed, curling around her protectively and instinctively; he was looking forward to another day of being hers.

It was so wonderfully strange how Bobby's embrace provided Jubes with such a strong sense of security — one that the girl never even knew she needed. She just felt so safe, so content.

"Goodnight..." She whispered to him. Though it wouldn't be until hours later that the steady beating of Bobby's heart lulled the nocturnal girl to sleep; the time between being spent fawning over the handsome features of her sleeping pervsicle, and wondering just what kind of day their first morning together would bring.


	5. Chapter 5

In some sort of alternate universe where everything went perfectly, Bobby Drake might have vigorously woken up the next morning — because his heart was _bursting with joy_ and he couldn't _bear to sacrifice another moment to unconsciousness_ , when he could instead be spending it with _his darling beloved_.

But instead, the Iceman had been drooling steadily onto the pillow; and when he did start to drift into wakefulness… Well, it _was_ because _something_ was bursting; but, well — the Iceman needed to take a leak.

It was too bad, though, 'cause he had been having this amazing dream that he and Jubilee had finally, actually, gotten together, and he had stayed the night, and…

Oh. _Holy Phoenix._ Right. That _had_ happened.

Bobby sighed in relief. Still cradled around his dark-haired girl, he pressed his lips into her tresses and whispered, "Sexy vampires say 'what'…"

As a human, Jubilation Lee would've been too lost in her girlishly embarrassing dreams featuring a certain snowman (see: _dead to the world_ ), to be stirred by the whispering of the man cuddled up next to her. However, her vampiric self had awoken the instant she'd sensed the wakening change in the rise and fall of his chest. Despite that, Jubes kept her eyes closed and body still, in order to maintain the guise of slumber.

 _"…Sasha…"_ She quietly murmured in her 'sleep', complete with a peculiar Transylvanian accent. _"…There you are, Sasha… That's three… Three bats… Ah-ah-ah-ah…"_ The most subtle of smiles tugged at the corners of her lips.

 _"Babe, I hate to tell you…"_ Bobby remarked breathily, smirking, "—but Shogo's got you _whipped_ …" He playfully smacked her butt to add emphasis.

With a kittenish giggle, Jubilee's eyes flickered open. "Mmn… Well, you're more'n welcome to do the whipping instead _…_ "

"Think we better get you some more adult playdates, ASAP." Bobby sat up and touched his lips to a spot just below her ear. "But you should keep the accent."

Turning to catch his lips with her own, the little vampire rose from her false slumber; pretty much draping herself over Bobby's front as she hugged onto him. "Aside from the fact that 90% of my friends are constantly busy… You're the only person I'm interested in playin' with."

Playfully, she prodded at his neck with her fangs. "—And not just because _I vant to suck your blooood._ " (As requested, the terrible accent made its return.)

"Alright, Count von Cutey," Bobby laughed, "You can drain me all you want — but it'll have to be after I drain myself first." He tilted his head in the direction of the bathroom, then teased his fingers over her t-shirt. "Unless you want to come with…" He did his own horrible accent, _"I von't be long."_

"Are you… inviting me to come and watch you pee? How romantic!" With a smirk, Jubilee eyed his wandering fingers.

"I know," Bobby winked, "Surprised you haven't nominated me for 'Best Boyfriend of the Year' yet."

"I don't need to _nominate_ you when you've _already won_ ~!" The line was delivered in Jubilee's best Disney Princess™ voice, complete with an obscene amount of eyelash batting.

Swinging herself over him and off the bed, the spunky girl took him by the hands; pulling him up to his feet and into a quick kiss.

"Guess I need to up my romance game…" Bobby slipped her a little tongue.

Jubilee giggled; the taste of his tongue left her licking her lips. "You're a helluva lot more romantic than I am," She admitted with an embarrassed smile. "So, you're good… Now hurry up — before your bladder explodes."

Bobby coaxed her through a sort of rough approximation of a swing dance twirl, then beat a hasty retreat to the land of the loo, while his messy-haired vamp took the opportunity after their little jig to pop into the next room and check on Shogo — who was still sound asleep.

* * *

With bladder emptied idyllically, toilet flushed romantically, and his hands washed sentimentally, Bobby was intending to rejoin his Disney Vampiress — when his stomach rumbled optimistically.

He snuck to the kitchen and prized open the fridge. Lots of puréed and otherwise kid-friendly stuff, and gee, there must've been a sale on big ketchup packets or something. And then Bobby realized the red stuff he was looking at was _probably_ not at all tomato-based.

He swallowed.

Jubilee slipped out of her sleeping infant's room to investigate what had become of her Iceman. Either Bobby had a giant bladder, or he managed to flush his icy self down the toilet, because he was taking a while to make an appearance. Jubes peeked into the bathroom, but — no Bobby.

She'd have to follow her nose — which was easy now that his scent was imprinted in the most primal part of her memory. _Yay, vampirism._

"Of course you ditched me to raid the kitchen." She said, as her smiley self came skipping out of the hallway. Then… dammit… Her smile faded once she noticed that Bobby had come upon her blood supply. _Boo, vampirism_.

Being in her own home had caused Jubes to be a little less discreet with it than when she stayed at JGS. "Lemme just, uh, move these…" How mortifying…

Inserting herself between the Iceman and the icebox, Jubilee gathered up her liquid sustenance, revealing more actual food toward the back of the fridge. Like the vast majority of the groceries in her cupboards, having the refrigerator stocked was mostly just for show. Anything that wasn't for Shogo hadn't even been opened yet.

She made an awkward scamper toward the pantry door. "…Feel free to eat whatever you want…" She opened the door and stepped inside, promptly disappearing.

"Uh, Jubes…" Bobby cleared his throat when his girlfriend had hidden herself, "You do know that _I know_ that you're a vampire, right?" He grabbed the butter and jam out of the fridge and set them on the counter, nudging the fridge door closed with his elbow.

Bobby sighed, then poked his head around the pantry door, continuing, "So you don't have to pretend that that part of you doesn't exist. I signed up for the whole shebang…"

"Yeah, I know… But it doesn't mean I hafta gross you out with it…" Jubilee knew that she was being totally stupid; if there was one person on this planet that she should feel completely at ease with, it would be — without a doubt — Bobby Drake. Perhaps the little vampire just wasn't as confident in herself as she liked to think. Whatever the problem was though, introspection would have to wait.

Bobby blinked into the dimness. "Okay, well… More importantly: Got anything in there I can toast?"

"Yeah." After packing her blood bags back into the deep freezer with the rest of her stash, Jubilee flicked on the light to reveal her smiling face. "You feelin' like bagels, or toast?"

Bobby eyed the freezer for just a moment; but he wasn't gonna push things — if Jubilee ever felt comfortable doing the whole blood thing in front of him, then so be it; or, if she never wanted to, that was her choice, too. He didn't think it was gross; it was just a part of her life… Maybe one day they would look back on this and laugh.

Bobby smiled at her gently. "I'm a bagel boy, through and through." He backed out of the way and scouted out the toaster.

Jubilee trailed out after him; tossing the bagels onto the counter, right next to the toaster. "Sorry if I made things weird…" Her arms suddenly slipped around his waist as she hugged him from behind, pressing closely against his back.

Bobby busied himself with trying to one-handedly pop a couple bagels in to toast, while he traced the fingers of his other hand along Jubes' arms. "Babe, you're allowed to be as weird or not-weird as you want or need to be…"

"I just figured that watchin' me slurp down a bloody bowl of sugary cereal would be a total boner-killer." She let out a slight chuckle.

"Hey, don't you ever worry about my ability to boner — 'cause honestly," Bobby grinned, "Once you said the word 'boner', I forgot everything else you just said." He adjusted himself while the bagels cooked. "…Just talking about boners with you is giving me a boner."

Jubilee let out a tickled laugh as Bobby spoke, "You're the best, you know that?" Her mischievous little paws teased their way down his front, treating him to a good-morning grope.

Bobby whimpered — just a little. His manhood was more than happy to say 'good morning' back. It certainly made retrieving breakfast more difficult; he unceremoniously dropped the hot rings onto the counter to cool down.

"…So," Jubilee started thinking ahead and aloud, "I don't hafta do anything special? All I gotta do is say 'boner' and it's game on?" She gave the centre of his back a kiss while grinning like an idiot. "Guess I can do away with all the sexy underwear and titillating foreplay ideas I thought I needed to get you in the mood!"

"Uh, no — no — god, no — _please_ , no — _please don't get rid of the sexy underwear, and fun activities, and_ —" Bobby suddenly twisted around, keeping Jubes' arms wrapped around his waist, to face the grinning girl. "I take it all back. You know, the word 'boner' does nothing for me!" He glanced down. "See, that, is just a coincidence. Nothing to do with the word at all…"

This only made the giggling vampire even more zealous in her teasing. "Oh? If _that_ ," She pressed herself against the stiffness in his boxers for emphasis, "—has nothin' to do with 'the word'… Then how'd it happen in the first place, hm~?"

"Mmn." Bobby responded to her added pressure, then cleared his throat, to add loftily, _"The source of the Pervsicle's powers ~ are a mystery even to him!"_ But he couldn't keep a straight face about it for any more than two seconds.

"…Pfft!" Jubes giggled again, smirking up at him. "How convenient. Guess I'll just hafta 'figure out' the reason for myself."

Bobby ruffled Jubilee's hair affectionately. "Mhm. Now, tell me more about this sexy underwear…?"

Jubes backed her boxer-clad boyfriend up against the counter, starting to playfully nip at his chest. "Hmm… I dunno, Bobby. I don't think you're ready to know about _The Drawer_ just yet…"

Bobby Drake's brows raised as he abruptly met with the counter and the wrath of his vampire's pretty little mouth. "Oh, god, there's an entire _drawer_ …?" He couldn't help suddenly imagining Jubilee in everything but the t-shirt she was currently wearing; and then he couldn't help the little patch of sticky, wet fabric that was just as suddenly forming on his boxers.

Bobby's response only made the half-pint of a vampire become more aggressive with her nibbling; now rubbing up against him to make sure that whatever naughty thoughts were running through his mind were properly stimulated.

"Yep. I started collecting all kinds of super-sexy things that Emma had recommended for 'keeping a man on a willing leash', and I just stashed 'em all away in my _In-Case-Bobby-and-I-Ever-Get-Back-Together_ drawer…" And yep, as one might figure from the former White Queen's influence, this included an _actual_ leash.

Oh… shit. No avoiding it this time… As much as Bobby liked to think that he had gotten over the issues he had with Emma Frost — that woman was still definitely the Pervsicle's main source of kryptonite. He had already started to wilt.

So Bobby quickly improvised and, a bit awkwardly, lifted Jubilee up, turned, and sat her on the counter, beside the forgotten bagels. Clearing his throat, he attempted to resume their suave, titillating banter: "A-all kinds of things, huh?" He almost forced himself to smile, but instead — speaking of titillating — buried his face, self-consciously, in the loose fabric covering Jubes' chest.

"Mhmm!" Jubilee _almost_ felt bad for taking her teasing a little too far. But the adorable way Bobby scrambled to keep 'things' up — made the mention of Emma worth it. And besides, she intended to make it up to the poor guy, anyway.

The raven-haired girl hooked her legs around Bobby's waist to grind against his fading fervor, and she kissed the top of his head as she did so. "Though, on the lingerie front, I'm not sure what ones you're gonna like. So I'll just _hafta_ try 'em _all_ on for you, _one day at a time_ …"

"Well, I hope you won't find this ice-boy too vanilla for your liking…" Bobby mumbled to her boobs.

" _'Too vanilla'?_ You're forgettin' that I'm too _green_ for that to matter." With a soft giggle, Jubilee took hold of one of his hands, gliding it along the smooth surface of her thigh. "But I'm havin' fun so far. So, just… keep showin' me the ropes, and then we can work out the rest of the — literal — kinks later."

Jubes left him free to wander once his fingers disappeared under the hem of her T-shirt and, while she continued rolling her hips, she picked up one half of Bobby's bagel and nonchalantly began to butter it. "Who knows, there might be _actual_ ropes involved in the end…" She punctuated her jest with a playful squeeze from her legs.

With his face pressed into the comfort of the valley between her pert breasts, it was easy for Bobby to regain his chill. Well, until the grinding, and the hand-up-the-thigh, and the kinky rope talk, and the hip-rolling began.

But it was the crumbs sprinkling down his back, which made Bobby emerge, brows furrowed, from his resting place. "You know — I don't even know what to do with you right now."

Though, that was a little bit of a lie; 'cause Bobby's free hand snuck under her shirt hem as well — and then he stroked his thumbs along the creases where Jubes' thighs met with her pelvis, and he followed the lines down, 'til he was positioned perfectly for massaging her inner thighs.

"I can sure think of a few things…" The rubies of Jubilee's eyes looked at him with an impish flicker. "Though I'm not sure if we'd have the time, since Shogo should be wakin' up any minute now."

"Babe, is that a challenge?" He winked, grinning. But it was just for show; he could wait 'til they had ample time to get down to business — well… He was pretty sure he could make it 'til then…

"As much as I'd love it to be…" Breaking off a piece of the freshly buttered bagel, the frisky vampire brought it to Bobby's lips and slid it into his mouth with a smirk. "…I'd rather us not have to rush to the finish line." But damn, did the caresses she was getting from Bobby's thumbs ever make her want to change her mind.

"Mmph." Bobby replied, chewing contemplatively. He wondered if Shogo took an afternoon nap or something… He swallowed, still rubbing circles along Jubes' inner thighs, 'accidentally' brushing up against her honeypot on occasion.

"S-so you might hafta stick with the bagel for breakfast…" Jubilee was _trying_ not to focus on how totally lunchable this blue-eyed boy of hers was… How he was standing there all half-naked with his hands on her… "Is that okay…?" And then remembering the way he tasted, and the faces he made when she—

"Yeah, of course it's okay," Bobby smiled, watching her get lost in her own thoughts. "You read my mind, actually. There's no rush." He gently — and a little reluctantly — eased up on his attentions to her details. "So, what's the plan for the day, then?"

"U-uh," Jubilee cleared her throat, snapping back to reality. "I hafta run out and pick up some more diapers 'n stuff. Then, unless I'm needed at the school, I was gonna take Shogo to the park." Her lips reflexively pouted, steeling herself for potential disappointment: "…What about you? Gotta jet, or can I hog you to myself all day?"

"I can clear my schedule…" Bobby leant in to kiss that lovely mouth of hers — while there was still a moment of time before Shogo could interrupt. "Being with you is a better use of my time anyway."


	6. Chapter 6

"Ugh, you're so perfect…" Jubilee scrunched her nose in 'disgust' at Bobby. "You're gonna have me totally gushing to all of my friends."

"Aw, man, I better do something imperfect then, so I don't set your standards too high…" Bobby took the last bite of bagel out of Jubes' hands with his teeth, then proceeded to chew: "—'ike 'alk wif m' mouf full…" He waggled his eyebrows at her, pleased with himself.

"Sorry, but even that somehow manages to get me hot…" Jubes giggled at Bobby's muffled reply, countering his brow-waggling with an overexaggerated lick of her lips. She linked her arms around her goofy boyfriend's neck and gave him a warm smile. "My standards are currently set to: 'Bobby'. So I'm pretty sure anything you do is gonna be seen through hella biased eyes."

Bobby swallowed. _(Dang, he'd have to try harder next time. Oh well…)_

Jubes really couldn't be any happier, and it showed in the affectionate way she kissed Bobby then. Once their lips met — she added in some serpentine tongue-action for added fun. But just then, as if on cue, the sound of Shogo's crying came from the other room.

"Ah, duty calls…" Jubilee sighed, and Bobby picked her up off the counter, to carry her out of the kitchen. "Mommy's comin' kiddo," Jubilee called out, _"And she's got a surpriiiiiise for yoouuu~!"_

Just before they reached the door to Shogo's room, Bobby stuck his head under Jubes' shirt, all for the sake of improving the surprise of the imminent revelation of his presence.

 _(Though Shogo sure would probably be pretty surprised as it was — just seeing half a half-naked man sprouting from his mommy's lower half; not that Bobby would really be able tell either way — 'cause, gee, it was kind of dark under here.)_

"B-Bobby! Now's not the time for—Oh." Jubilee paused, "This is you 'hiding', isn't it…?" She let out an amused laugh, while hugging his head into her plush chest. Then as Bobby lurched forward into the room, blindfolded and praying that Shogo wasn't old enough to have any Lego™ strewn about the floor, Jubes did her best to 'steer' him. "Okay. Go right a little… a little more… Now, take a big step to dodge the potentially-lethal word blocks… Annnd… stop!"

Jubes peeked down into Shogo's crib. "Good mornin', little man! You ready to go crazy?"

The murmuring infant looked up from his pillow with a big smile. Then, in one swift motion, Jubilee had flung her shirt up for Bobby's grand reveal. "Look! It's Unc— _err_ —It's Bobby!"

 _(Having to blindly follow Jubes' instructions was another reminder for Bobby of some past Danger Room sessions. Hm. Maybe there was some symbolism in that. But it'd have to wait. 'Cause right now he was — oh, huh, no longer 'Uncle'.)_

Bobby grinned at Shogo, and shifted Jubilee to free up one hand, so he could do his and Shogo's secret handshake — which, uh, _no,_ of course he wasn't just inventing on the spot. "What up, my man? How's it going?" Bobby tickled at the infant's plump cheek; Shogo attempted to dislocate the Iceman's fingers from his hand.

For Jubilee, it never got old — watching Bobby interact with her precious baby boy. To her, it was no surprise that the big goofball was good with kids; which was great since Shogo was somewhat lacking in male role-models — especially now with Logan gone.

"Man, you totally won the sleeping contest this morning…" Bobby told the boy, while giving Jubes a scruffy kiss next to her ear. "Though I think _someone_ might have influenced that result…"

"Hey, that extra shot of warm milk wasn't forced on him! I did nothin' wrong!" The chuckling girl chimed in response to the accusation, giving Bobby a gentle squeeze as he kissed her.

"Mmhm, likely story…" Bobby teased back, lowering Jubes so she could stand. Meanwhile, Shogo kicked his own two feet up in excitement; giggling as he started to tug on the Iceman's fingers.

"You ready for breakfast…?" The smiling vampire asked the infant encouragingly. "Once I get your bottle ready, maybe Bobby'll feed ya…"

Bobby received a look that turned Jubes' words into a question for him to answer. He noticed how Shogo's eyes lit up at the mention of the bottle, and then — "Whoa, hey now…! She said I _might_ feed you… That wasn't permission for you to feed _on me!"_

Bobby gave his girlfriend a helpless look while his fingers got thoroughly slurped on. "Better hurry with that bottle, babe — might not be anything left of me by the time you get back." He grinned at Jubes, then turned back to plead with the delinquent: "Aw, come on, Shogo — Officer Popsicle's your _friend,_ not _food."_

Jubilee hopped up to plant a kiss on Bobby's cheek, looking wholly amused at his current dilemma. "Excuse me, mister!" She cleared her throat, turning back to her son. "But I believe _I'm_ the vampire in the family. Leave the people-eatin' to me!" Baring her fangs with the silliest of faces, she drew a fit of giggles from the finger-munching infant.

"Try to save some Bobby for Mommy; I'll be right back with your 'baba'!" Shooting the Iceman one last playful 'good luck' glance, Jubes turned to make her exit, giving his icy behind a firm smack as she breezed out of the room. Payback for last night…

God, he loved his cute, sassy vampire. In the time it took Bobby's glutes to tense in response to Jubilee's smack — and for him to consider throwing a retaliatory snowball — Jubes was already out of the room. Damn her superhuman abilities. Life was so unfair.

"Your mom's a total cheat," Bobby whined to the child latched onto his digits; then he cleared his throat and whispered conspiratorially, "Alright, I know you can talk — quick, tell me something that I can get, or do, for Jubes that she's always wanted…"

Bobby nodded intently while Shogo babbled incoherently. "No, man, I'm not gonna steal your girl; you give me an idea — I swear I'll give you all the credit for it."

Shogo drooled.

"Alright, fine. Don't talk…" Bobby sighed to himself, "It was worth a shot…" He iced his fingers up a bit more, as it seemed to make the kid happy, and looked around the room, hoping for inspiration.

* * *

Feeling oh-so-pleased with herself as she returned to the kitchen, Jubilee couldn't seem to keep from smiling even as she quickly switched to 'Mom Mode'. Was every day of being with Bobby going to be like this? Was it always going to feel so… _ugh_ … wonderful?

These sugar-coated thoughts were stirring up all kinds of fluttery emotions — God, she was being such a total _girl_ right now. Luckily, the beeping of the microwave pulled the humming ingenue away from her saccharine suppositions.

Okay, Shogo's bottle was nice and warm — all set. But as Jubilee turned to leave the kitchen, the forgotten half of Bobby's bagel caught her eye instead.

* * *

A short while later, with her arms totally full, the little vampire singsong-ed her way into the room, like a total dweeb: "Guess who's baaa~aaack?"

But Bobby couldn't do anything other than blink, while his free hand became suddenly laden with breakfast as Jubes presented him with a plate: The other half of his bagel was present and freshly buttered, with an egg and a generous amount of bacon on the side.

"I, uh, wasn't sure what you liked so… I just went with the breakfast basics." A small, timid smile spread over Jubilee's lips. "Oh, brought you some orange juice, too… 'cause… Vitamin C, and all that." _Smooth Jubes. Reeaal smooth._

Bobby looked from the food, to Jubes, and back to the food; then eyed the OJ, hoping the Vitamin 'C' stood for 'coherent sentences'… All Jubilee could do was shyly smile as Bobby's gaze bounced between her and his breakfast; it was always so cute to see him at a loss for words.

"I knew it," the Iceman finally managed, "I _knew_ you were Wonder Woman!"

"Me?" Jubilee batted her eyelashes flippantly. "An Amazon with a perfect bod — perfect hair — a uselessly invisible jet — and almost as many battletastic fashion accessories as Emma Frost has shoes…? Okay. Fine. You got me!"

She set Bobby's drink down on Shogo's dresser, then peeked down into the drooling baby's crib; Bobby sidled up behind and watched over her shoulder. "Mommy's got a yummy baba for her little man!" As Jubilee lowered it to Shogo, Bobby was finally freed from the boy's grasp as he latched onto the coveted bottle instead. _Mission complete!_

Bobby gave Jubes' shoulder a tender squeeze as Shogo went straight to work on the bottle. "You're great at this, you know that?"

"Thanks…" The cheshire-faced vampire couldn't help but grin, turning to kiss Bobby's cheek. "…It means a lot comin' from you." She placed her hand atop his, trying not to burst at the seams from the buildup of warm-n-fuzziness.

Bobby smiled back, then raised his plate towards Shogo and did his absolute worst Remy LeBeau impression (he'd been practising): What should have been "Bon Appétit!" came out — at best — as something approximating _'Bone Apple-teat!'_

"Oh, oh god don't…" Jubilee laughed, and Shogo literally paused mid-gulp to give Bobby a blank stare. "Yep, I'm right there with you, buddy. Bobby _should_ stick to his ice puns — poor Uncle Remy didn't deserve that."

"…Okay. No — I can take a hint." Bobby raised his hand off Jubilee's shoulder in defeat, backing away. "If anyone needs me, I'll just, uh, be over here, eating delicious bacon in silence."

Retrieving his glass of orange juice (his only friend in the world…), Bobby muttered, "Didn't realize we were double-booked with the _Gambit_ Fan Club™…" He leant by the door jamb — mock-pouting whenever Jubes looked his way — and stuffed bacon and bagel down his trap. Otherwise, he was actually just enjoying watching Jubilee care for Shogo. She really was great. At everything.

"Uh-oh," Jubilee chimed in an all-too-amused tone. "I think we made Bobby jealous!"

She was sure to project her voice as she proceeded to list off all the wonderful wonders their Cajun teammate had to offer, purposefully trying to make her cranky-faced snowman pout even more: "I mean, he doesn't have cute kitty-cats like Uncle Remy does — or card tricks — or a cool accent — or glowy eyes…" She lifted Shogo up and rested the boy on the curve of her hip, peeking back at her sulking lover with a smirk.

"…I have a cool _everything else_ …" Bobby grumbled along in the spirit of things. Meanwhile, Shogo just giggled and squealed — during the rare moments when his mouth wasn't preoccupied with his bottle, that was.

Shuffling over towards Bobby, Jubilee shot him a playful wink. "You know the Lee family will always be members of the Iceman Fan Club™, first and foremost! How could we love anyone more'n we do our Bobby? Right, little man?" Shogo agreed with a thoughtful, eloquently stated 'buh'.

Bobby finished off his egg and the orange juice, then reluctantly smiled. "I _guess_ that was a pretty convincing 'buh'…" He then offered Jubes his empty dishes in exchange for her child: "I can, uh, watch Shogo while he finishes his bottle…?" He shrugged.

Chuckling once Bobby's sulking came to an end, Jubilee nodded, accepting the swap. "Thanks, I shouldn't be too long…"

"And if you need to, uh… eat something…" Bobby shrugged again, hoping he wasn't pushing the subject too much. "And then we'll get dressed and go out, huh?"

Jubilee could tell that he was trying to make her feel more comfortable about her vampiric needs — and openness between the two _should_ be a priority now that they were a couple. "Just gonna rinse these and I'll be right back. If he finishes his bottle, you can get him dressed… I mean, if you want. Pretty sure he's got a snowman onesie somewhere in his dresser." Giving the boy's head a gentle pat and Bobby's lips a kiss, Jubilee took her leave and returned to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Bobby stared at the boy in his arms; Shogo stared right back. Was it weird that it didn't seem weird to him — that it felt… kind of normal — to actually want to help out and to be part of this kid's life?

Well… Bobby _had_ felt the same thing with Opal and her son, though he'd been misled in that case — told he was the kid's dad, then not even an appearance on _Maury_ to find out that, actually, he was _not_ the father… And that refutation had actually really hurt.

Maybe there was such a thing as a paternal instinct — and Bobby seemed to have it. Although it didn't really necessarily correlate with having the _skills_ to do the job… Bobby's brow furrowed the instant after Shogo's did, upon the joint discovery that the bottle was now empty.

"Aw, man — all good things come to an end, buddy…" Uh-oh. That was not a happy face. "N-no, wait! Look, we're — okay, snowman onesie, coming right up…"

Bobby quickly hid the offensive empty bottle out of sight and took Shogo over to the dresser, sitting the boy on top, keeping him still and propped up with one hand, while the other hand delved into the drawers.

"Oh, no. This is way too embarrassingly cute…" Bobby eyed the onesie skeptically, then made the executive decision to tie it around atop his own head — for the sake of keeping Shogo amused and preoccupied, of course — before resuming his search for something else for the infant to wear.

"Trust me, Sho', you'll thank me when you're older."

* * *

"Bobby Drake..." In this case, Jubilee saying his name aloud while absently rinsing off the dishes was pretty much the verbal equivalent of writing it down in a spiral-bound notebook and scribbling hearts all around it.

She hated making the comparison, but the way she felt for the Iceman was oddly different than the feelings she had for Julian Keller. So much so, that Jubes now questioned whether or not she was really in love with Julian at all. Sure she knew that she loved him, but… had she ever actually been _in love_ with him? Was Julian really her first _love_ … Or was it all just white-hot infatuation?

More importantly, _Why the hell wasn't there a manual for this?_

Finally, she stepped away from her thoughts and finished up the dishes. Now it was time to eat.

Snatching a blood bag from the pantry freezer, Jubilee tossed it into the microwave to heat up. As it spun around under the humming lights, Bobby's words echoed in her mind:

 _'You don't have to pretend that part of you doesn't exist.'_

* * *

"Pfft!" Sounding out from the doorway, Jubilee made her return to Shogo's room, bloodbag in hand. Yep, she was pretty much chanting _'just act natural'_ in her head the entire time. So, with a grin and a sip of her bloody breakfast, the former firecracker sauntered over to her two favorite guys. "Nice headgear, Frosty."

Bobby glanced at the impish girl — quickly noting her beverage of choice — before sweeping his hand suavely over his impromptu'd onesie-hat. "Thanks, babe… I think it kind of gives me that elusive _'Je ne sais froid'…"_

Looking Bobby's half-naked self over with an emphatic nod, Jubilee played along. "This definitely needs to be your next costume, it's just so… _iconic!"_ She scooped the reaching infant up from the dresser and rested him on her hip. "Don'tcha think so, little man? That snowman on Bobby's head looks too… _cool."_ The silly face that followed riled the infant into a fit of laughter.

"Since Bobby thinks he can work the snowman look better than you, Shogo… What do you think he's gonna dress you in, hm?" Jubilee's attention turned then from the giggling boy on her hip, to the boxer-clad man still rummaging through the clothing drawer.

Bobby winked at Jubes, digging through the clothes with both hands now. "Too much to choose from… I guess I could just play it safe… Something classy… that never goes out of style…" He plucked another onesie out of the mess. "Yep. Dinosaurs."

"Aw, looks like you're a Shogosaurus today!" Jubilee announced to the boy once the dinodorable onesie was deemed 'classy' enough to suit the Iceman's tastes.

Bobby gave Jubes a look. "Shogo doesn't know anything about the ol' _'avage-Say and-Lay',_ right?" Another thought occurred to him. "And please don't tell me that's the 'park' we're going to later…"

"No-freakin'-way!" Looking up at her lover and leaning into his side, Jubilee shook her head. "The Savage Land doesn't exactly scream baby-friendly. Or friendly at all, really… So no worries, Frosty; no prehistoric picnics for us." She shuddered, "Just imagine the dog-sized ants everywhere…"

"Phew," Bobby looked noticeably and physically very much relieved that he wouldn't have to fight dino-monsters today. "I'm glad that being an X-man hasn't skewed your sense of what constitutes a 'fun' outing."

"They don't even have malls in the Savage Land. As if I'd be interested!" Jubilee gave him a look. "But there's a nice park near here; I like to take him there… whenever I'm feeling up to it…" One glance toward the curtained window and it was obvious that, despite the cold weather, it would be a beautiful sunny day outside — much to the now-frowning vampire's dismay. "…I'm sure we'll all have fun…"

Catching Jubilee's suddenly-cloudy expression, Bobby gently swept his fingers through her fringe, as though it might clear the trouble from her thoughts. "So, errands first — then park?" Bobby got to work helping the wriggling creature they called Shogo into his dino duds.

"Uh, yeah." Jubilee nodded, "Just gotta grab some baby stuff — and then it's playtime." She gave Shogo's belly a gentle tickling with her fingers, smiling again as Bobby dressed her drooling son.

"You're really good with kids…" She'd been meaning to mention it, but never really found the right moment until now. _Plus, it just kind of came blurting out…_

"Well… I don't know about 'really good'…" Bobby rubbed the back of his neck in response to the compliment, "But 'pretty okay with Shogo' is a good start, anyway."

"Sure seems like a knack to me." Jubilee smiled, "Either way, I'm glad that you're so good to him."

A comment to which Shogo seemingly 'buh'-ed in agreement.

"Well, just remember you said that, buddy!" Bobby eyed up the reptilian infant. "—'Cause when we get to something more complicated — like if I have to teach you math or how to do your taxes — I don't want to see you tantruming like all the rest of my students do."

Bobby shook his head, "But we'll get to that another time, 'cause right now…" With an exaggerated look down to his boxers then up to his 'snow hat', Bobby then tried to keep a straight face; he really did. "…I'm all ready to go!"

Jubilee couldn't fight off the smirk that spread across her face. "I guess it's not much different than when you used to fight crime while iced up in a speedo. So~…"

For lack of a better argument, Bobby stuck his tongue out at her — for both the speedo comment and the smirking. "Well, I'm just… I'm gonna go put on real clothes… 'cause… Probably won't be fighting crime. And… reasons."

And with that, this grown-ass man handed the baby dinosaur back to its mom, then retreated down the hall to finally put something on other than his jockeys and onesie.

"You hear that, Shogo? I don't think Bobby likes the Frosty getup you let him borrow. _So rude!"_

Trailing behind the Iceman as he headed to the other room, both Lees filled the hallway with the chiming of their giggles; Jubilee pointing up to the snowman atop Bobby's head, which bounced with every one of his steps.


End file.
